Enough Is Enough: Why Black Women Are Three Times More Likely to Die And How We Must Fight Back

SAY THEIR NAMES. HONOR THEIR LIVES. DEMAND CHANGE.

We need to have the most important conversation of your life.

If you’re a Black woman, whether you’re a doctor, a midwife, an Olympic athlete, a scientist, a mother, or even a professional, you need to know this truth; You are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. Your education won’t protect you. Your income won’t protect you. Your health insurance won’t protect you. Even being a healthcare provider yourself won’t protect you.

This isn’t fate. This isn’t genetics. This isn’t about personal choices. This is systemic racism embedded in our healthcare system and it’s killing us.

But here’s what else you need to know; This crisis is preventable. 84% of these deaths could be avoided. And we, Black women, our families, our communities and our allies have the power to demand change.

Enough is Enough.

CRISIS IN NUMBERS: STATISTICS THAT DEMAND ACTION

According to the most recent CDC data from 2024:

Black women’s maternal mortality rate: 44.8 deaths per 100,000 live births
White women’s rate: 14.2 deaths per 100,000 live births
Hispanic women’s rate: 12.1 deaths per 100,000 live births
Asian women’s rate: 18.1 deaths per 100,000 live births

Black women are the ONLY racial group whose maternal mortality rate has not significantly improved. While other groups see declining death rates, ours remain stubbornly, tragically high.

More Critical Facts:

According to CDC 84% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, these women should still be alive
Black women are 60% more likely to develop preeclampsia
Black women are 5 times more likely to DIE from preeclampsia than white women
Postpartum cardiomyopathy kills Black women at 5 times the rate of white women
Based on studies from CDC, only 17% of maternal deaths occur on delivery day most happen in the days and weeks after, when we’re sent home
Treatment delays contribute to approximately 50% of maternal deaths from hypertensive disorders
1 in 3 Black mothers report mistreatment during maternity care (vs. 1 in 5 overall)

In New York City, Black women are 9 to 12 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. Let that sink in 9 TO 12 TIMES.

A McKinsey analysis warns that if we don’t act NOW, the Black maternal mortality rate could nearly double to 94 deaths per 100,000 by 2040, putting us on par with developing nations.

SAY THEIR NAMES: BLACK WOMEN WE’VE LOST

Behind every statistic is a Black woman. A mother. A daughter. A sister. A friend. A future that was stolen. These Black women came from all walks of life doctors, midwives, athletes, advocates, everyday mothers. None of that mattered. The system failed them all.

We say their names. We honor their lives. We demand change.

Across the Nation: A Pattern of Neglect and Death

Dr. Shalon Irving (Georgia)
Age 36 | CDC Epidemiologist | Died January 28, 2017

Dr. Shalon Irving studied health disparities for the CDC, the nation’s top public health agency. She had two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. She dedicated her life to understanding how structural inequality makes people sick. Three weeks after giving birth, she died from complications of high blood pressure that her doctors repeatedly dismissed. The researcher fighting to eliminate health disparities became a victim of the very system she studied.

Dr. Janelle Green Smith (South Carolina)
Age 31 | DNP, CNM Midwife and Black Maternal Health Advocate | Died Jan. 2026
A 31-year-old Black midwife, a healthcare provider who dedicated her entire career to Black maternal health advocacy and who understood the medical system intimately, died following an emergency cesarean section and subsequent complications.

Dr. Janelle Green Smith wasn’t just a patient. She was a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and a midwife. She had medical training. She knew the warning signs. She understood the complications. She was part of the healthcare system itself. And she still died.

Her death emphasizes the most terrifying truth of the Black maternal health crisis; The racial gap exists regardless of medical background, education, or professional status. If a midwife who spent her career fighting for Black mother’s lives while in labor couldn’t survive her own pregnancy complications, what hope do everyday Black women have?

Dr. Smith’s death proves that this isn’t about Black women lacking knowledge or making poor choices. This is about a system so fundamentally broken, so deeply infected with racism, that it kills even the healthcare providers trying to fix it from within.

Kira Dixon Johnson (California)
Age 39 | Mother, Entrepreneur, Pilot | Died April 13, 2016 | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, LA

Kira spoke five languages, raced cars and flew planes. After a routine C-section, her husband noticed blood in her catheter and begged for help. For SEVEN HOURS, staff ignored him while Kira bled internally. When they finally opened her abdomen, they found three liters of blood. She died of hemorrhage. Her husband’s lawsuit calls it butchery rooted in the hospital’s culture of racism. A Cedars-Sinai doctor testified that Kira ‘should have gone back to the operating room sooner.

Tori Bowie (Florida)
Age 32 | Olympic Gold Medalist | Died May 2, 2023

A world-class athlete at peak physical fitness. Found in labor at eight months pregnant. Died of respiratory distress and eclampsia. Her teammate Allyson Felix wrote; Tori Bowie can’t die in vain. We cannot accept that being a Black woman in America comes with a higher risk of dying during pregnancy.

Amber Thurman (Georgia) Mother | Died 2024

Amber died from complications related to Georgia’s abortion restrictions. Her death highlights how state-level medical restrictions disproportionately impact and kill Black women. Policy isn’t abstract, it’s life or death.

Texas: A State of Crisis

Karrie Jones (Dallas, Texas)
Survivor | November 2025 | Dallas Regional Medical Center, Mesquite

A video went viral showing Karrie in severe labor pain, claiming she was denied immediate care and forced to wait in a chair while in active labor and distress. She survived, but her story exposes the cruelty and neglect Black women face even in emergency situations.

New York: 9-12 Times More Likely to Die

In New York City, Black women face the nation’s worst disparities, dying at 9 to 12 times the rate of white women. Multiple women have died at Woodhull Hospital, Mount Sinai and Montefiore Medical Center from preventable complications. Their stories expose a healthcare system that repeatedly fails Black mothers.

Amber Rose Isaac (Bronx, New York)
Age 26 | Mother | Died April 21, 2020 | Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx

Amber Rose Isaac’s story became a rallying cry for Black maternal health advocacy. Just days before her death, she tweeted about dealing with incompetent doctors at Montefiore. She felt so dismissed and mistreated at one Montefiore location that she switched to another facility in the same hospital system, desperately hoping for better care.

It didn’t help. During her pregnancy, Amber faced issues with prenatal care, her concerns repeatedly brushed aside, her symptoms minimized. On April 21, 2020, she underwent an emergency C-section. She died from complications that day, leaving behind her newborn and a community demanding answers.

Her death led to the creation of the Amber Rose Isaac Foundation, dedicated to improving maternal health outcomes for Black women and ensuring that her warnings about inadequate care would not be forgotten. Amber’s voice, silenced by a system that failed to listen now speaks through the foundation that bears her name, fighting to save other Black mothers.

Sha-Asia Semple (Brooklyn, New York)
Mother | Died 2024 | Woodhull Hospital, Brooklyn

Sha-Asia Semple died at Woodhull Hospital in 2024 following a botched epidural, a routine procedure that should never end in death. Her death at Woodhull Hospital spotlights the glaring disparities in hospital quality that disproportionately affect Black mothers in New York City.

Woodhull Hospital has become notorious for maternal deaths and near deaths of Black women. Sha-Asia’s case exposed how even standard medical procedures become deadly when performed in facilities with inadequate resources, undertrained staff and systemic neglect. She trusted the hospital to safely deliver her baby. Instead, a medical error took her life.

Her death adds to the mounting evidence that in New York City, the hospital you deliver at can determine whether you live or die and Black women are disproportionately funneled into the facilities with the worst outcomes.

Laqueeinea Singletary (New York)
Mother of Four | Died 2022 | Mount Sinai Hospital

Laqueeinea Singletary was a mother of four who died in 2022 following an emergency C-section at Mount Sinai Hospital. She left behind four children who needed her, a family shattered by preventable loss and questions that demanded answers.

Her death was so clearly preventable, the circumstances so egregiously negligent, that her family filed a lawsuit against Mount Sinai Hospital. The lawsuit alleges that the hospital’s failures in care directly led to Laqueeinea’s death, failures that follow the pattern we see over and over again when Black women seek maternal healthcare.

Mount Sinai is not an under-resourced community hospital. It’s a major medical center with significant resources. Yet Laqueeinea still died. Her case demonstrates that even at a well-funded, prestigious hospitals, Black women can still face deadly disparities in the quality of care they receive.

Four children lost their mother. A family lost their foundation. And Mount Sinai added another Black woman to the growing list of maternal deaths that should never have happened.

Christine Fields (Brooklyn, New York)
Mother | Died 2023 | Woodhull Hospital

Christine Fields is named among multiple high-profile deaths at Woodhull Hospital, part of New York’s ongoing maternal mortality crisis, where she had complications after having an emergency C-section that led to her death at Woodhull hospital has become synonymous with Black maternal death in Brooklyn.

North Carolina: Survivors Fighting Back

Tomeka Isaac (North Carolina)
Survivor | Nearly died of HELLP syndrome in 2018 at 35 weeks

Tomeka lost her son in utero and nearly died herself from HELLP syndrome. She survived, but the trauma of losing her child and fighting for her own life transformed her into an advocate. She now fights through Jace’s Journey to eliminate the disparities that nearly killed her.

Cindy McMillan (Asheville, North Carolina)
Survivor | Founder of Sistas Caring 4 Sistas

After experiencing her own near-fatal pregnancy complication, Cindy became a community doula dedicated to ensuring other Black mothers survive. She provides the support the healthcare system fails to give.

Virginia: Loss and Advocacy

Dr. Krystal Anderson (Virginia)
Age 40 | University of Richmond Alumna | Died March 2024

An educated, accomplished woman who died after giving birth. Education didn’t save her. Professional status didn’t protect her. Dr. Anderson died in March 2024, just days after giving birth to her baby. She experienced severe complications from postpartum preeclampsia, a condition that can be life-threatening if not detected and treated quickly. Her death was sudden and preventable. She left behind a baby, family, friends and a community in shock.

Destiny LeVerne Bolling (Virginia)
Virginia Delegate | Lost her son Noah in 2023

A state delegate with access to resources and healthcare lost her child during a high-risk pregnancy. Her son, Noah, died shortly after birth, a devastating loss that exposed how even access, education and political power do not guarantee protection from failures in maternal and infant care. In the aftermath, she transformed grief into advocacy, using her platform to demand change for mothers and babies, especially those facing high-risk pregnancies

Arika Trim (Virginia)
Mother | 2020 | Died despite taking necessary precautions

Mother | 2020 | Died despite taking necessary precautionsArika did everything right. She attended appointments, followed medical advice, took precautions and sought care when concerns arose. She died anyway, a devastating reminder that individual responsibility cannot overcome systemic failures in maternal healthcare. Her story emphasizes that preventable deaths are not always the result of personal neglect but can occur even when a woman does everything she is told to do. Her loss highlights the urgent need for systems that listen, respond and protect mothers before complications become fatal.

New Jersey: Tragedy & Ignored

Dreeah Austin (Newark, New Jersey)
Age 30 | 2024 | Died from pulmonary embolism shortly after giving birth

Dreeah Austin died from a pulmonary embolism in the postpartum period, after giving birth to her son, a preventable tragedy that emphasizes the dangers many women face after delivery. Her story highlights how the postpartum period can be a time of serious medical risk, even when women are told they are fine or discharged without adequate attention to warning signs. Her death also reflects a broader pattern in which Black women’s symptoms can be minimized or missed, with devastating consequences. Dreeah’s story is a call for stronger postpartum monitoring, earlier recognition of complications and maternal care that does not end at delivery.

Alisha Jasmine Harper (New Jersey)
High-risk pregnancy on Medicaid | 2020 | Felt ignored

Alisha Jasmine Harper’s experience highlights how Black women on Medicaid can face dismissal during high-risk pregnancies. Despite being identified as high-risk, her concerns were not taken seriously, reflecting a pattern where both racial bias and economic status affect the quality of care received.

Her story shows how “feeling ignored” in pregnancy can have serious consequences, since symptoms in high-risk cases require immediate attention. It also points to a larger issue in healthcare where Black women’s voices are often undervalued, leading to delays in care and increased risk for complications.

Overall, her experience emphasizes the importance of listening to patients, especially those in vulnerable and high-risk situations, to ensure timely and appropriate medical attention.

Her story exposes how economic status compounds the racism Black women face in healthcare.

Pennsylvania: Policy & Legislation

Mercedes Wells (Pennsylvania)
Survivor | Gave birth on the side of the road after being discharged while in labor | 2026

Mercedes testified before the Pennsylvania House Majority Policy Committee about being SENT HOME while in labor. Mercedes Wells, she was reportedly sent home while already in labor, after leaving the hospital, she ended up giving birth on the side of the road. That kind of outcome points to a serious breakdown in clinical judgment and discharge safety during active labor evaluation.

When someone is truly in labor, symptoms like contraction patterns, cervical dilation and pain progression are supposed to be carefully assessed before discharge. If a patient is sent home too early, especially without clear instructions or reassessment, labor can progress rapidly outside of medical supervision, exactly the kind of situation that can become dangerous for the mother and the baby.

Her experience is often discussed in the context of maternal care failures and racial disparities, particularly because Black women are statistically more likely to have their symptoms minimized or not fully believed when they report pain or changes in their condition.

So, the “giving birth on the side of the road” detail isn’t just dramatic, it emphasizes what can happen when labor is underestimated or dismissed.

Lashana Gilmore (West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Age 34 | Died in 2019 after childbirth

Lashana Gilmore’s death after childbirth became a powerful example of the maternal health crisis affecting Black women in the United States. Her passing deeply impacted her community and inspired Rep. Morgan Cephas to advocate for legislative action aimed at improving maternal health outcomes and accountability in care.

Her story is often referenced as a catalyst for change, highlighting how preventable complications and gaps in postpartum care can lead to tragic outcomes. It also reflects the broader issue of maternal mortality disparities, where Black women face significantly higher risks during and after pregnancy due to systemic inequities in healthcare access, treatment and response.

DO YOU SEE THE PATTERN?

Doctors. Midwives. Athletes. Advocates. Mothers. Delegates. Professionals. Everyday women. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you know, what you’ve accomplished, or how much money you have. If you’re a Black woman in America, pregnancy can be a death sentence.

This isn’t bad luck. This isn’t coincidence. This is systemic racism killing Black mothers and we refuse to accept it any longer.

WHY THIS IS HAPPENING: THE ROOT CAUSES

Black maternal mortality isn’t about individual health choices or genetics. It’s about systemic racism embedded in every level of healthcare. Here’s what’s killing us:

1. Implicit Bias and Medical Racism

Studies show that many healthcare providers hold false beliefs about biological differences between Black and white patients, including the persistent, deadly myth that Black people feel less pain. This bias leads to:

Dismissal of Black women’s symptoms and concerns
Delays in treatment during emergencies
Inadequate pain management
Failure to take vital signs seriously
Attributing serious symptoms to normal pregnancy discomfort

Research published in the American Journal of Public Health found that provider-related factors, including delays in diagnosis and treatment, contribute to roughly 50% of maternal deaths from hypertensive disorders. These aren’t accidents, they’re predictable outcomes of implicit bias.

2. Weathering: The Physical Toll of Racism

Weathering refers to the cumulative physiological damage caused by chronic stress from experiencing racism. This isn’t just emotional, it’s biological. Constant exposure to discrimination causes:

Chronic inflammation
Elevated cortisol levels
Premature aging of body systems
Increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease
Compromised immune function

3. Social Determinants of Health

Environmental and economic factors compound health risks:

Food deserts limiting access to nutritious food
Environmental toxins and pollution concentrated in Black neighborhoods
Economic inequality and employment discrimination
Housing instability and unsafe living conditions
Limited access to quality prenatal care
Transportation barriers to healthcare facilities

4. Perinatal Mental Health Neglect

Black women experience postpartum depression and anxiety at higher rates than white women but face:

Stigma around mental health in Black communities
Lack of culturally competent mental health providers
Inadequate screening for perinatal mood disorders
Limited insurance coverage for therapy
Fear of child protective services involvement

Untreated perinatal mental health conditions can be life-threatening, contributing to maternal mortality through suicide and complications from severe depression and anxiety.

5. Quality of Care Disparities

A shocking 2016 New York City analysis found that college educated Black mothers who gave birth in local hospitals were more likely to suffer severe complications than white women who never graduated from high school. Education and income don’t protect Black women because the problem is systemic racism in care delivery.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: POLICY SOLUTIONS WE DEMAND

This crisis is 84% preventable. That means these women should still be alive. That means we have the knowledge and tools to save Black mothers; we just need the political will and systemic change to do it.

Here are evidence-based policy solutions that MUST be implemented NOW:

1. Extend Postpartum Medicaid Coverage to 12 Months, Permanently and Universally

Currently, Medicaid coverage ends just 60 days after birth, right when many life-threatening complications emerge. Remember only 17% of maternal deaths occur on delivery day. Most happen in the weeks and months after.

Research shows Medicaid extension to 12 months is associated with reduced maternal mortality. As of 2023, most states have extended coverage, but this MUST be:

Universal across all 50 states
Permanent federal policy, not state-by-state
Inclusive of comprehensive mental health treatment
Cover chronic disease management
Include emergency and specialist care

Black women disproportionately rely on Medicaid for pregnancy care. Cutting off coverage when we need it most is deadly.

2. Mandate Implicit Bias Training for ALL Maternal Healthcare Providers

California’s AB 241 (2019) requires implicit bias training for doctors and nurses. This MUST become federal law. Training should include:

Recognition of implicit bias and its deadly impact on patient care
Concrete strategies to mitigate bias in clinical decision-making
Cultural competency and respectful maternity care standards
Understanding weathering and chronic stress in Black women
Debunking racist myths about pain tolerance
Annual recertification requirements

3. Increase Diversity in the Maternal Healthcare Workforce

Research consistently shows that racial concordance, patients and providers sharing the same race, improves outcomes and saves Black women’s lives. Federal and state agencies MUST:

Provide full-tuition scholarships for Black students in midwifery, OB-GYN and family medicine programs
Create loan forgiveness programs for Black maternal healthcare providers
Establish mentorship programs to support Black providers
Fund pipeline maternal health programs starting in high school
Support Black midwives through programs similar to HRSA’s Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program

IMPORTANT: While having a Black healthcare provider matters, cultural competence is CRITICAL. Not all Black providers are culturally competent and not all culturally competent providers are Black. Seek providers who:

· Treat you with respect, dignity, and empathy

· Take time to explain diagnoses, options, and next steps clearly

· Welcome questions and encourage shared decision-making

· Understand how culture, stress, and lived experience can impact health

· Recognize and actively work to reduce bias in their care

· Advocate for your needs within the healthcare system when necessary

4. Fund Community-Based Doula and Midwifery Programs

Evidence shows that continuous doula support and midwifery care lead to dramatically better birth outcomes, higher satisfaction and lower mortality rates. Congress MUST pass:

The Midwives for Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services (MOMS) Act of 2025
Universal Medicaid coverage for doula services
Funding for community birth centers in underserved areas
Support for culturally specific doula training programs

5. Fully Fund Maternal Mortality Review Committees

The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act directs CDC to fund state-based maternal mortality review committees to investigate every maternal death. However, Congress failed to include funding in the 2024 continuing resolution. This is unacceptable. We MUST:

Fully fund maternal mortality review committees
Ensure every maternal death is thoroughly investigated
Track deaths by cause and implement prevention strategies
Disaggregate data by race to identify and address disparities
Make findings publicly available

6. Pass the Kira Johnson Act: Mandate Respectful Maternity Care

Kira Johnson, who bled to death while begging for help, this legislation would establish respectful maternity care compliance standards and require bias and racism training for ALLemployees in maternity care settings. Hospitals MUST be held accountable for:

Responding promptly to patient concerns and requests for help
Believing Black women’s reports of pain, bleeding and symptoms
Providing interpreter services when needed
Allowing support people during labor and delivery
Informed consent without coercion
Protection from discrimination and mistreatment

7. Expand and Mandate Perinatal Mental Health Screening and Treatment

ALL pregnant and postpartum women should be universally screened for depression, anxiety, PTSD and other mental health conditions. Black women especially need:

Universal perinatal mental health screening at every prenatal and postpartum visit
Culturally competent mental health providers
Telehealth access to reduce barriers
Full insurance coverage for therapy and psychiatric medications
Community-based peer support groups
Crisis intervention services

PROTECT YOURSELF: WHAT BLACK WOMEN NEED TO KNOW

Until the system changes, Black women must be armed with knowledge and strategies to protect ourselves. Here’s what you need to know:

Know the Warning Signs They Could Save Your Life

Call 911 or go to the emergency room IMMEDIATELY if you experience:

Severe headaches that won’t go away or get worse
Vision changes (blurriness, seeing spots, light sensitivity)
Chest pain or shortness of breath
Severe swelling in legs, hands, or face that comes on suddenly
Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
Heavy bleeding that soaks through a pad in an hour
Fever over 100.4°F
Incision that’s red, swollen, hot to touch, or has discharge
Severe abdominal pain
Dizziness or fainting

Advocate for Yourself Your Life Depends on It

Bring a support person to every appointment who can advocate for you and document what’s said
Write everything down: symptoms, questions, concerns, what the doctor says
If dismissed, say this exact phrase: I need you to document in my chart that you are refusing to investigate this symptom
Trust your instincts: if something feels wrong, it IS wrong
Request a second opinion if you feel unheard or dismissed
Record your blood pressure at home if elevated, don’t let them send you home
Consider hiring a doula for continuous support and advocacy

Organizations Providing Support

Black Mamas Matter Alliance: Advocacy and resources for Black maternal health
National Birth Equity Collaborative: Training and resources for birth equity
SisterSong: Reproductive justice organization
Postpartum Support International: 1-800-944-4773 (call or text in English/Spanish)
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-943-5746 (24/7 support, free, confidential)
CDC’s HEAR HER Campaign: Resources to recognize maternal warning signs
Jace’s Journey: Advocacy to eliminate maternal health disparities
Sistas Caring 4 Sistas (Asheville, NC): Community doula support

QUALITI FOR HEALTH: OUR COMMITMENT TO SAVING BLACK MOTHERS

At QUALITI FOR HEALTH, we understand that Black women face a healthcare system designed to fail us. We refuse to accept this. We provide culturally competent, trauma-informed care that centers Black women’s voices, experiences and needs.

Our Services:

Patient advocacy training, we teach you how to fight for yourself
Doula referrals and support
Navigation support for Medicaid, insurance and healthcare systems
Community support groups for pregnant and postpartum Black mothers
Refer you to grief and loss support for those who’ve experienced pregnancy loss or infant death

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Black mothers deserve to survive.

Black babies deserve their mothers. We will not be silent. We will not stop fighting.

Contact QUALITI FOR HEALTH today, because Black maternal health is a human right.